Thoughts on Infestation

Raszul

<div class="IPBDescription">(the 1435th ^^) - some ways infestation might be used...</div>Hi!

I'm quite new to this forum, even thought i played NS for quite some time. <i>(The movie about dynamic infestation made me search for my HL-CD, after 1 year without any HL at all... ^^)</i>

I posted a little bit about my thoughts on infestation in the [URL=]Enviromental Blog[/URL] [URL=] Topic[/URL]

Here is the Quote:

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I would use the creep/infestation <i>(those are synonyms, aren't they?)</i> quite much like it is in StarCraft:

It growth starting from certain structures <i>(like the hive, or any 'infestation'-chamber)</i>.
It provides resource flow <i>(like food, water, or any other resource used as food by units and structures)</i>.
All structures require being connected to any kind of resource-provider via the creep. Or in other words: the aliens can only place their structures on it. <i>(maybe with some exceptions like hives... - dunno)</i>
In return, the infestation blocks the nanites from providing energy and resource flow. Or in other words: marines can only build on uninfested places.

I would also think, that the slimy nature of the infestation is, for those that are used to it, a great advantage, for using the slime to glide-run on it increases speed. <i>(which means that the aliens move faster on the creep)</i> But for those, that aren't used on walking on such a slimy underground, the underground is a hindrance. You are simply gliding on it uncontrollable, therefore reducing the movement speed. <i>(in short: marines move slower, or get some gliding in random directions)</i>

Another nice idea, based on the infestation would be the way the aliens build: they place an egg on the infestation, and the infestation provides it with some <i>(very slow though)</i> automatic construction. if the construction speed should be higher, any builder might provide the infestation with resources <i>(in a half digested, fluid form)</i> Those resources are used for several things:<ol type='1'><li> they provide increase in construction speed <i>(the amount depends on the distance between construction and the feeder)</i></li><li> they provide an increase in regeneration for all nearby units & structures <i>(speed depends, up to a certain maximum, on the distance as well)</i></li></ol>The resources spend, are shared on all these purposes about equally.

There could be the possibility to store some resources in special structures <i>(like those increasing the infestation)</i> or the infestation itself, from where they are 'used' automatically.
Also,all <i>(alien-)</i> units and structures on infestation linked to the storage/injection place by infestation might benefit from the resource-allocation...
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I would appreciate any comments and thoughts you have on infestation, based upon the ideas i had.

It is unnecessary to repeat the ideas already mentioned a few <i>(hundred)</i> times, but i'll try to give a short overview over them as well:
<i>(please tell me, if i forgot any)</i><ul><li> make it removable
<i>(by burning, base expansion, AOE-Damage (e.g. grenades), or any other way)</i></li><li> make it noclip
<i>(for it is so slimy that one cannot stand on top of it, for it simply 'goes' away under ones feed)</i></li><li> make it solid
<i>(even thought slimy, it has some strogner iner structure, making it possible to walk on it)</i></li><li> make it a healing area <i>(for alines only)</i>
<i>(by providing food and bacteria, the infestation heals those upon it - never saw anyone mention healing structures too...)</i></li><li> make it affect moving
<i>(its slimy nature increases alien- and reduces human movement)</i></li><li> make it decorative
<i>(add some decorative models to it - like the yellow glowing balloon seen on the blog pictures)</i></li><li> intensity - spreading
<i>(make it gradually decrease intensity. starting from very high at hives, gradualy fading as distance to the hive increases)</i></li><li> intensity - aging
<i>(make the intensity increase with time (maybe in addition to distance) as well)</i></li></ul>I hope those were all things...
I know some are controversial, but thats how they were stated in the posts.

- Raszul

Goldenprize

- the infected chamber can only build on the infested surface and its attacking all enemys they walk on the surface

Femme_Fatale

SC's will also cloak the infestation <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
and scrap SOF, let the infestation alert if there are marines

Pikminwars

Only being able to place structures on/off DI would be more annoying than intuitive.

Moving_Target0

The infestation could be harmful to marines due to acids. If injured (below X HP, not armor), the marines will slowly take damage.

Zerohourrct

I was thinking something like this:

1- Aliens can only gestate on infestation. This prevents Onos from "ghost gestating" in a far away place, instantly allowing them to suprise the Marines. It also adds some depth to the resources, as genetic data and material is funneled to you through the infestation, allowing you to upgrade.

2- Aliens can heal gestate on infestation. WHAT'S THIS? Hell, why not. Choose heal from the menu, and you turn into your egg with a significantly increased regen time. Downside? You are in your egg until you are fully healed, and you are hence completely vulnerable to Marines until then.

3- Infestation grows outwards from resource nodes and hives. Each node or hive can start its own infestation "pool". Pools can be joined to share benefits.

4- Chambers give Alien upgrades to the pool they are located on. This means infestation you gestate on must be connected to a chamber in order to utilize the upgrade of the chamber. This makes logical sense with gestation on infestation, and also prevents Aliens from grabbing upgrades from three chambers hidden away in a remote part of the map. (chambers always give their local benefits, so they arn't totally useless when disconnected).

5- Infestation that is cut off from a pool slowly "dies out" on its own, and also does not link benefit chambers. This can be exploited by a smart commander to surgically "clean" infestation in key chokepoints.

6- If infestation pools link, they both share slightly faster spreading. This makes the infestation able to reach dying infestation quicker, essentially making the Marines work more to kill connected pools.

7- Aliens heal and recharge naturally slightly faster on Infestation. This makes Marines think twice before engaging Kharra close to home.

Some stuff like that would be great.

jimbotogo422

Also, Dynamic Infestation can overtake Acessable Computer Moniters. Accessable Moniters can be used for a number of things, and benifit only the Marines, just as Dynamic Infestation benefits only the Aliens. Thus AM becomes an appropriate counter-balance to DI. Marines can repair (weld) an accessable moniter, and DI can overtake it.

Computer moniters are all over the place in official maps, so putting them to use would create a new and very intriging game element.

Accessable Moniters would have a desktop, with various icons on it. A marine could use it do do a number of things:
-turn on/off lights
-flood rooms
-close/open doors
-view activity through security cameras
-set off death traps such as fatal gases or automated machine gun turrets (that might be too much)
-view history of what happened before the marines arrived (fan fiction, or official canon)

For those of you who are afraid that DI might be too beneficial for aliens, then consider accessable moniters as a possible counter-balance.

Tilkor

We can also think bigger on what infestation could do. Say in those larger more open rooms it builds a unique structure that gives the aliens an advantage. Infesting a larger room should result in some kind of reward. Maybe it constructs a pool for healing, or gives you access to a spot where gestation costs are reduced.

The room could also represent the pinnacle of the map, everyone has to pass through it to get to another's base. Infesting the entire room would allow a gorge to turn itself into a huge turret monster. It would cost alot to make so in the room when fully infested the aliens can see a circle where only they can trade resources to one person to make the thing.

Fully infested rooms can begin growing mushroom things potentially that blow up when a non-alien gets near.

Gotta think bigger on what an infested room can do.

Buzzou

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We can also think bigger on what infestation could do. Say in those larger more open rooms it builds a unique structure that gives the aliens an advantage. Infesting a larger room should result in some kind of reward. Maybe it constructs a pool for healing, or gives you access to a spot where gestation costs are reduced.

The room could also represent the pinnacle of the map, everyone has to pass through it to get to another's base. Infesting the entire room would allow a gorge to turn itself into a huge turret monster. It would cost alot to make so in the room when fully infested the aliens can see a circle where only they can trade resources to one person to make the thing.

Fully infested rooms can begin growing mushroom things potentially that blow up when a non-alien gets near.

Gotta think bigger on what an infested room can do.
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these are awesome ideas! especially the mushroom mines <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

what benefits would the marines get for locking down the room?

Tilkor

Maybe after a key point installments in special rooms it could activate a laser array that would send like 40 lasers just randomly going around the room that damage aliens that cross it. Kill most skulks but they are small enough for move try and run around them though it'd take alot to know the patterns, and anything would get fried. The bird would probably be the best pet to get through.

It could affect marines or not, could be turned on only by marines present, or turned off on a timer only until all the installments are destroyed.

Marines locking down a room could allow for the ventilation of alien sedative gases that would affect the vision of aliens, making it difficult for players fast aliens like skulk to be effective.

On the largest scale I can think of, maybe after locking down a room and installing a special building only buildable in that room (like the pinnacle room i talked before), it would activate the facility in there that would allow a marine to pilot a robot from a console like the command post. Very strong with high armor, multiple weapons and such. If it were killed the facility would produce another in like 5 minutes.
I'd give it drawbacks though, like it has a powercell to it and is capable of gaining power consoles that are not infested, so going into alien territory would put it on a time limit so he has to be quick.

Same kind of idea could work for aliens too.

Rokiyo

I'm not so much a fan of forcing players to build on/off infestation, but perhaps structures on their correct environment could receive performance bonuses?

I would quite like to see gorges as passive infestation generators. Their footsteps could leave behind small amounts of infestation, that would slowly build up and spread out from well-traveled paths. Actively building or healing a structure could cause more infestation to spread out from it.

They could then build anywhere, as they would create infestation on the spot, but without constant attention or a link via infestation to a resource nod, the infestation would slowly be disappear, leaving the structure weakened or operating inefficiently.

Likewise, marines building or welding a structure would automatically clear away infestation around and under that structure. If the infestation is linked to an alien resource node, it could then grow back towards the marine structure if they don't pay attention.

the_x5

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SC's will also cloak the infestation <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/wink-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=";)" border="0" alt="wink-fix.gif" />
and scrap SOF, let the infestation alert if there are marines
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I like that idea! <img src="style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile-fix.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":)" border="0" alt="smile-fix.gif" />

sanobrew

The idea of more infestation growing when there are more alien structures is a GREAT and well thought out idea. Starcraft's idea about growing creep from every structure was good. When alien structures are cloaked and you see the infestation you'll be on the lookout it would make the game a lot better